Cataract Canyon Rafting Trip Reviews

June 2-6. I am a land lover who finally went river rafting on Colorado River in Cataract Canyon with CRATE. Highly professional team of guides who make you feel like family. Safety a priority. Excellent equipment. They took care of everything: Cooked & served 3 fabulous meals per day; set up & took down camp; offered educational hikes to waterfall, Indian pictographs, grotto (where string concert was performed by some of the guides); the “Dollhouse”; and over the saddleback of “The Loop.” Sleeping under the Utah sky was awesome. I never saw so many stars! And the white water rapids . . . take your breath away. FUN! FUN! FUN! Water was cold, but you get used to it. I will do this again. Plus the price was affordable. In fact, I don’t know how they provide all they do at this price. Try it – You will love it!

CRATE knows how to treat river rats! And they will encourage you to be a “mountain goat”, too! The total white-water rafting, hiking-to-waterfalls, fine-dining, camping-out-under-the-stars, and making-friends experience has been fine-tuned by the boatmen and boatwomen of CRATE. This was our third trip with CRATE….and it seems to get better and better. Their Cataract Trip guidebook spells out everything you need to know for the trip – it is right on! We strongly recommend CRATE to folks looking for an adventure!
Ed and Suzan G., Mullin, TX

Over the past 18 years, I have taken five trips with CRATE – three Lower Grand Canyon (hiking down, rafting out), one in Cataract Canyon and a eight day full Grand Canyon trip. Each one was a fantastic experience. Each trip had unique highlights and seemed to build on past experience. The Grand Canyon at the river level is a special, almost spiritual experience. I would go back each year if I could. The full GC trip two years ago was a special family trip with the whole family and will be a lifetime memory. There is little to compare to hiking up Deer Creek or running Crystal, Horn Creek, Hance or Lava Falls rapids as well as sleeping under the stars listing to the river.
I cannot imagine a better outfitter than CRATE. I feel like Vicki is an old friend even though we have never met, particularly after a trip with her son and daughter in law as our guides. The CRATE crew has a special way of taking great care of their guests while allowing you the freedom to enjoy the canyon in your own way. As an avid wilderness traveler, I found their respect for the land to be strong and sincere. I have traveled with eleven CRATE guides over the years and all have been outstanding. The handle the guests, the river, the food, the hiking and everything else with knowledge and skill. From a safety perspective, my trips have been perfect – no injuries and everyone stayed on the boat through all the rapids. Also the other guests on the trips have been a joy and shared our appreciation for the Canyon and river. I lucked out when I chose CRATE for my first trip and would highly recommend them to all. I thought that our trip two years ago was my last but my daughter and I are thinking that perhaps another CRATE trip might be in the cards some day.

When you get right down to it, a river trip like this is judged by the beauty (not in the hands of the company or guides- sorry,) the river guide crew, safety, thoroughness of logistics / planning, the food: -the things that are at least, in part, a function of the expedition company. Let me just say- as a person who has taken a lot of people into unknown territory beyond their comfort zone- these people get the absolute highest marks from me.
We went on a Cataract Canyon trip and had the experience of a lifetime. Of all the above listed variables at the hands of the guide company- they excelled on all.
Here is the list, our thoughts and praise;
The river guide crew:
These people were the nicest, most professional, knowledgeable about not only the equipment they were responsible for, but the natural and cultural history they taught us. Their work is their love and it shows. The guides, swampers, and company should be very, very proud of these folks. Whatever they are doing- they do it right to the ‘nth degree.
The food:
You are in the middle of freak’n nowhere and these people seem to delight in providing the most nutritious, best prepared meals I’ve had on any outdoor adventure- hands down. We had a young woman who turned 18 on the trip and out of nowhere appeared a CAKE!!! Good grief!!
Safety:
Let’s face it- this is a major priority. On the trip we were on, we had people from teens to 70’s and all were well prepared and considered in all arrangements. One person had a clumsy accident and required some first aid (again – in the middle of nowhere) and the crew dispensed quality care in no time with better bedside manner than I have seen in expensive private hospitals. Thanks you Jesus! But more to the point when we went through the drops, our guides carefully and correctly scouted out the rapids for the conditions of that day. They were dangerous. As we scouted- we watched another company with 3 boats lose every single boat in ht rapids – we are talking little kids under 10 – heads bobbing down through rapids but not one of our boats went over- not even the smaller row boat we had decided to try out. We even took the family with little kids from the wipe-out company on our boat as extra passengers so they would be safe. These people are professionals at CATE – I saw it in person!!!
Thoroughness of logistics / planning.
Again- they told us what we needed to bring and they brought the rest. For those of us who checked our brain along the way- they even covered those. Again – these folks take their jobs seriously, love what they do, and care about the folks they are taking along on the adventure. We are about to trust our 14 yr. old nephew to them on a trip of a lifetime through the Grand Canyon – that is how strongly we feel about their professional skills.